Irma Voth

A Novel

About the Book

"Thenicely drawn contrast between what Irma knows and suspects and what the readerunderstands about her world gives Irma Voth asuspenseful charge from the first pages.” —Jane Smiley, Globe and Mail (Toronto)

Ina rare coming-of-age novel that blends dark truths with upliftingtransformations, acclaimed author Miriam Toewsdelivers the story of a young Mennonite woman, vulnerable yet wise beyond heryears, who carries the burden of a terrible family secret with her during aremarkable journey of survival and redemption. Irma Voth,from the award-winning author of Swing Low and A Complicated Kindness,is a poignant and elegant exploration of one woman’s difficult odyssey todiscover her own potential—a path that leads her away from her close-knitcommunity and into the wide and unknown world beyond.

Book Description

That rare coming-of-age story able to blend the dark with the uplifting, Irma Voth follows a young Mennonite woman, vulnerable yet wise beyond her years, who carries a terrible family secret with her on a remarkable journey to survival and redemption.

Nineteen-year-old Irma lives in a rural Mennonite community in Mexico. She has already been cast out of her family for marrying a young Mexican ne’er-do-well she barely knows, although she remains close to her rebellious younger sister and yearns for the lost intimacy with her mother. With a husband who proves elusive and often absent, a punishing father, and a faith in God damaged beyond repair, Irma appears trapped in an untenable and desperate situation. When a celebrated Mexican filmmaker and his crew arrive from Mexico City to make a movie about the insular community in which she was raised, Irma is immediately drawn to the outsiders and is soon hired as a translator on the set. But her father, intractable and domineering, is determined to destroy the film and get rid of the interlopers. His action sets Irma on an irrevocable path toward something that feels like freedom.

A novel of great humanity, written with dry wit, edgy humor, and emotional poignancy, Irma Voth is the powerful story of a young woman’s quest to discover all that she may become in the unexpectedly rich and confounding world that lies beyond the stifling, observant community she knows.

Educator and Librarian Resources

Critical Praise

“The wryly funny title character keeps the story poignant.” — USA Today

“A strong and skillful novel . . . a parable of redemption, a powerful theme . . . that leaves the reader with a comforting glow of hope.” — Annie Proulx, Financial Times

“In this compelling and beautiful novel, Toews’s quirky and authentic voice shows increasing range and maturity. She is well on her way to fulfilling her promise as an important and serious writer.” — Montreal Gazette

“Simultaneously poignant and humorous . . . perfectly captures this young woman’s attempt to find her niche in a world so different from that in which she was raised . . . Toews’s unique voice shines.” — Booklist

“A literary novel marked by charm, wit and an original approach to language.” — Kirkus

“ . . . endearingly odd and affecting . . . [Toews] writes with an instinctive grasp of the adolescent point of view.” — Maria Russo, New York Times Book Review

“A witty and thoughtful coming-of-age story. . . . A novel about parenthood and sisterhood, and about redefining those relationships as people grow . . . it succeeds tremendously.” — The Washington Independent Review of Books

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